Force Feedback (Toys)

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Physical force feedback means adding hardware to your virtual pinball cabinet — shaker motors, solenoids, fans, chimes, gear motors, beacons, strobes. In virtual pinball we call these devices toys.

The purpose is to make the hardware react to the table code. For example: the shaker motor turns on automatically in Jurassic Park VPX when the dinosaur eats the ball. When the ball hits the bumpers, connected solenoids trigger and add a real physical sound. You can also use a real plunger to launch the ball.

Jump to section Solenoids Controller Boards Shaker Motor Addressable LEDs

🔧 Solenoids ⚡ Shaker Motor 💡 Beacons & Strobes 🌬️ Blowing Fan 🔔 Chime / Knocker ⚙️ Gear Motor 🌈 Addressable LEDs

Adding Solenoids

In this video I show how to prepare solenoids for your cabinet. This consists of adding a Diode 1N4007 on the positive terminal of the solenoid. This allows current to flow in only one direction — a safety feature to prevent back-EMF from blowing your controller.

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The grey bar of the diode connects to the positive terminal of the solenoid; the other side connects to the negative terminal.

To connect solenoids to your cabinet you will need a controller board — options include a SainSmart relay board, a KL25Z with booster MOSFET cards, a Pinscape, a Rigmaster, or similar.

Wiring:

Positive (+) terminal of the solenoid → 12V+ of your power supply
Negative (−) terminal of the solenoid → a port on the controller board

A typical virtual pinball setup uses 10 solenoids installed as follows:

Solenoid Recommendations

After testing many solenoids and contactor assemblies over the years, here are my recommendations:

6 × 12V Car/Truck starter solenoids for the bumpers (no specific brand required)
2 × Real pinball flipper assembly
2 × Real pinball slingshot assembly
1 × Real pinball knocker

💡 Car/truck solenoids work well with a 12V 20A power supply.
Real pinball assemblies are designed for 50V but are still extremely loud at 24V.
The knocker is also designed for higher voltage but 24V is already very loud.

Controller Boards

To use DOF (Direct Output Framework) on your computer, you need DOF-compatible hardware to connect your toys. Below is a list of compatible controllers. You can also see these in the Online DOF Config Tool.

Cleveland Software Pinscape Board

KL25Z-based

Connects and boosts all your toys using the KL25Z board. Well built with good support. Popular in the community with consistently positive feedback.

PinOne Board 21-Output KL25Z Board

Arnoz Rigmaster

All-in-One

All-in-one solution for connecting buttons and toys. Has on-board fuses — a very nice safety feature. I tested this board and it's quite good. Note: the PWM for the shaker motor doesn't seem to work. Has 16 outputs (8 PWM ports) and supports expansion boards for more devices and LEDs.

Arnoz Shop ▶ Video Tutorial

Arnoz KLshield

KL25Z Expansion

Expansion board for the KL25Z — makes button wiring much easier. Has 10 outputs for toys that require a power booster (e.g. MOSFET board). Also supports connecting a plunger.

Arnoz Shop

SainSmart USB 8-Port Relay

USB Relay

Relay board that connects up to 8 power toys such as solenoids and a shaker motor. Can handle up to 10A per port.

Buy on Amazon SainSmart Tutorial

KL25Z

Core Board

The main development board used in many controller expansion boards (Rigmaster, KLshield, Pinscape). Can also be used standalone for buttons and toys. Requires a power booster board (e.g. MOSFET) for driving toys.

Buy on Amazon KL25Z Tutorial

Pinscape Oak Micro AIO

Discontinued

Honestly, the best board I ever tested — I'm still using it in my main cab. Unfortunately it has been discontinued and is no longer available. Listed here for reference.

Connection Guide (PDF) ▶ Video Tutorial

Adding a Shaker Motor

A shaker motor is a fantastic addition to your cabinet — it does exactly what it's designed to do: shake. After testing a few options, I still believe the only truly viable choice is an authentic pinball shaker motor like the Stern shaker.

The shaker motor has been programmed into more than 300 virtual pinball tables.

Connecting the Shaker Motor

Every toy connects the same way:

Add a Diode 1N4007 if there is a magnetic field (motors, solenoids)
Connect the Positive to the power supply
Connect a fuse between the negative and the controller port
Connect the Negative to a port on your controller board

DIY Shaker Motor (Cheap Alternative)

If you want to build a cheap shaker using a Chinese gear motor, there's a TinkerCAD design available:

🔧 TinkerCAD Shaker Design

Addressable LEDs

Addressable LEDs (ALED) are another popular toy for virtual pinball cabinets, adding reactive RGB lighting effects synchronized with the gameplay. See the dedicated guide:

💡 ALED Setup Guide → ---

Related: DOF Setup · SainSmart Tutorial · KL25Z Tutorial · Addressable LEDs